The 2023 Asia Cup will start on August 30 and end on September 17. For the first time in history, the tournament is going to be held in a hybrid format, hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The Asia Cup 2023 features India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and, for the first time, Nepal, who have qualified for the tournament. This year’s competition will be structured with two groups, each consisting of three teams. The top two teams from each group will progress to the Super Four round. But, among these six teams, who have the most potential to win the trophy? Read on to see our prediction. Prediction for Super Four Round Group A consists of Pakistan, India, and Nepal. Group B consists of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. Predicting the top two from Group A is easy. Nepal will not have any chance against giant teams like India and Pakistan. So, India and Pakistan will surely proceed to the Super Four. However, predicting the top two from Group B will be difficult as all three teams are almost equal in terms of performance and players. But according to recent performances, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have a greater chance to proceed to the Super Four. In their most recent series, Sri Lanka faced Afghanistan in June 2023, and it was a 2-1 win for Sri Lanka. However, Sri Lanka lost the prior two series against New Zealand and India. On the other hand, Afghanistan won the most recent ODI series against Bangladesh by 2-1. Currently, Afghanistan is playing a three-match series against Pakistan in Sri Lanka. As of August 26, the Afghans lost two matches. So, this loss will surely reduce Afghans’ confidence, which they gained by winning against Bangladesh last month. Read more: Asia Cup 2023: Six Players in Bangladesh ODI Squad to Watch If we look at Bangladesh’s series against India, England, and Ireland, it is clear that the Tigers have shown tremendous effort as they won against India and Ireland. So, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh might play in the Super Four. Probable Winner of Asia Cup 2023 ODI Tournament The 2023 Asia Cup is anticipated to be a highly competitive tournament, with India and Pakistan emerging as the leading contenders for victory. India Presently, India holds the third position in the Men’s ODI Team Ranking. With stars like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli spearheading the batting lineup, India boasts a tough selection of batting experts. Complementing this strength is their strong bowling unit, featuring the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami. Read more: Asia Cup 2023: Analysis of Bangladesh ODI Squad India holds the record for being the most successful team in Asia Cup history, clinching the title seven times. It was truly surprising to witness their absence from the final of the previous year’s tournament, considering the star-studded lineup they possessed. This year, the reentry of Jasprit Bumrah, coupled with the inclusion of KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer in the middle-order, has considerably enhanced India’s team composition, lending it a much more balanced and formidable aspect. Pakistan Pakistan, on the other hand, holds the second position in the ICC Men’s ODI Team Ranking. Pakistan, the reigning champion, possesses a well-balanced team that harmoniously combines batting and bowling strengths. At the forefront of their bowling arsenal is Shaheen Afridi, a prominent force on the field, while their exceptional batsman, Babar Azam, adds further strength to their lineup. Up to this point, Pakistan’s ODI cricket for the year has primarily revolved around a series of eight matches against New Zealand. Notably, New Zealand’s lineup was notably weakened for the last five encounters. Although Pakistan has showcased their ability by securing victories in 19 out of the 28 matches played, their capacity to elevate their performance when facing tougher opponents remains under close scrutiny. Read more: Asia Cup 2023 Fixtures: Team List, Schedule, and Venues Sri Lanka Sri Lanka is the defending champion, and this year, magic might not happen for the Lankans as they will have to play 50-over matches. On two separate occasions this year, spanning across two different continents, Sri Lanka’s ODI innings came to an end with a total of less than 80 runs. Conversely, they managed to surpass the 300-run mark on four occasions. It’s worth noting, however, that one of those instances occurred after India had scored 373 for 7 on the same Guwahati pitch. So, Sri Lanka has a lower chance of reaching the final this year. Bangladesh For Bangladesh, there is a fifty-fifty chance. Benefiting from the inclusion of two all-rounders, namely Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Bangladesh’s lineup presents the flexibility of incorporating an additional specialist batsman or bowler as needed. Read more: Prospects of Bangladesh in 2023 Asia Cup ODI Tournament Lately, Bangladesh has leaned towards fielding the additional batter, a strategy that has yielded remarkable outcomes. Notably, Mehidy Hasan Miraz delivered match-winning performances from the number 8 position, scoring an unbeaten 38 and 100 in consecutive ODIs against India last December. Nevertheless, this same approach led to a series of losses against England and Afghanistan, sparking doubt regarding the effectiveness of the extra batter strategy. But the good thing about Bangladesh is that Shakib Al Hasan is the new captain, who can play a big role through his captaincy. Who can win the 2023 Asia Cup Trophy? Considering the prevailing conditions, it’s reasonable to anticipate that India might emerge victorious in the 2023 Asia Cup, building upon their current form. Several factors contribute to this prediction. To begin with, India’s recent performance has been outstanding; they notably triumphed over Australia in a home series. Read more: Asia Cup Cricket 2023: Analysis of Group A Moreover, India boasts an impressive track record on subcontinental pitches. The team’s skilled spinners have the ability to reshape the course of the game, particularly when competing on Asian wickets. A positive indicator is the resurgence of Indian batting star Virat Kohli, who regained his form during the previous year’s Asia Cup. Although India had been eliminated at that point, Kohli’s resurgence could potentially steer the team towards clinching the trophy this time. Given these factors, India’s prospects in the 2023 Asia Cup appear promising. Final Words We might be looking at an India vs Pakistan final at the Asia Cup 2023 ODI tournament. However, cricket is an unpredictable game, and anything might happen. So, this winner prediction is based on the most recent performances of participating teams. Read more: Asia Cup Cricket 2023: Analysis of Group B

The 2023 Asia Cup marks the tournament’s 16th edition, featuring an ODI format and co-hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Set to take place in August and September 2023, the competition will showcase the participation of six teams. Notably, Sri Lanka enters the event as the defending champions. The tournament will start on August 30, and Bangladesh is one of the contenders for the trophy. But can Bangladesh win the Asia Cup 2023? Let’s find out. Overview of Bangladesh's overall record in Asia Cup Cricket Tournaments So Far Table: Bangladesh’s Performance in Asia Cup Year Host Format Bangladesh’s Performance 1986 Sri Lanka ODI Lost all 3 matches 1988 Bangladesh ODI Lost all 3 matches 1990/91 India ODI Lost all 2 matches 1995 United Arab Emirates ODI Lost all 3 matches 1997 Sri Lanka ODI Lost all 3 matches 2000 Bangladesh ODI Lost all 3 matches 2004 Sri Lanka ODI Reached Super Four 2008 Pakistan ODI Reached Super Four 2010 Sri Lanka ODI Lost all 3 matches in group stage 2012 Bangladesh ODI Reached final 2014 Bangladesh ODI Lost all 4 matches 2016 Bangladesh T20I Reached final 2018 United Arab Emirates ODI Reached final 2022 United Arab Emirates T20I Eliminated from group stage Bangladesh has participated in the Asia Cup Cricket Tournament multiple times since its inception in 1984. Bangladesh played the first Asia Cup in 1986. Over the years, Bangladesh’s performance in the tournament has shown improvement, and they have established themselves as a competitive team in the region. Read more: Asia Cup 2023 Fixtures: Team List, Schedule, and Venues Bangladesh’s best performances in the Asia Cup came in 2012, 2016, and 2018 when they reached the final. In 2012, Bangladesh hosted the tournament and made it to the final but lost to Pakistan. In 2016, they once again reached the final but were defeated by India. In 2016, Bangladesh had a strong campaign, reaching the final for the third time, but lost to India. Apart from these notable achievements, Bangladesh has also had some decent performances in other editions of the Asia Cup. They have reached the semifinals on a few occasions and have consistently been a competitive team in the tournament. However, Bangladesh has not yet managed to win the Asia Cup title. They have come close on multiple occasions but have fallen short in the final matches. Despite this, their performances have shown progress and have earned them respect in the cricketing world. Read more: Asia Cup Cricket 2023: Analysis of Group A Strength of the Bangladesh Squad in Asia Cup 2023 The selection panel of Bangladesh Cricket Board has announced the 17-member team for Asia Cup 2023; Shakib Al Hasan has been made the captain of this team. The squad consists of Shakib Al Hasan (c), Litton Das, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Shamim Hossain, Afif Hossain, Shoriful Islam, Ebadot Hossain, and Mohammad Naim. Tanzid Hasan Tamim and the previously uncapped Shamim Hossain are the two new faces in the team. Considering the most recent performance, Bangladesh appears to have a balanced team. While almost all the players have enough experience playing in big tournaments, Shamim and Tanjid might be Bangladesh's weak points. But Shamim is excellent in T20. He also proved himself in ODI matches, scoring 600 runs in 35 matches from 2018-2020. Tanjid scored 1018 runs in 34 matches in ODI matches against different top-class teams in the world. So, he can contribute greatly. Shakib, Litton, Shanto, Hridoy, Taskin, and Ebadot will surely play a great role for Bangladesh in the Asia Cup. Hence, they are the strength of Bangladesh. Read more: Asia Cup Cricket 2023: Analysis of Group B Prospect of Bangladesh ODI Squad in the Upcoming Asia Cup 2023 Bangladesh will play Sri Lanka and Afghanistan in the group stage at group B. When the group was announced, Bangladesh was considered to be the strongest in this group. However, the recent defeat against Afghanistan in a three-match series has raised concerns about Bangladesh’s potential performance in the Asia Cup 2023. But, apparently, Bangladesh seemed to learn from defeat and won the last match of the series by seven wickets. And after that, the T20 series win against Afghans increased Bangladesh’s potential. Bangladesh will meet Sri Lanka after two years. Last time they met in Dhaka in a three-match series. Bangladesh won the series by 2-1. Sri Lanka will join the Asia Cup 2023 with a 10-win streak. However, these wins were not against any of the top teams, where Bangladesh has a winning record against India. The ODI series victory of 2-1 against India in December 2022 stands as a prominent source of inspiration for Bangladesh, pushing them to strive for even greater accomplishments in the upcoming matches. The noteworthy progress demonstrated during the England and Ireland series further accentuates their determination. Notably, the Tigers have exhibited remarkable performances both at home and abroad, highlighting their evolving prowess and adaptability. Considering their current level of performance, the Bangladesh cricket team holds a significant opportunity to win Asia Cup 2023 or, at the very least, secure a place in the final. Read more: Mahmudullah Riyad's International Cricket Career Overview: Records and Achievements Final Words Bangladesh has shown significant improvement in cricket over the years and has become a competitive team in international tournaments. In the Asia Cup 2023, Bangladesh is expected to be a strong contender. They have a talented pool of players who have gained experience by participating in various domestic and international competitions. Bangladesh has the potential to perform well in the upcoming Asia Cup 2023. With a balanced team and a mix of experienced and young players, they have the ability to compete against the best teams in the tournament. Read more: Asia Cup 2023: Analysis of Bangladesh ODI Squad